Note: for introductory and explanatory comments concerning this section of the website, please click on the “A-B” link below which points to “page one”. Thank you!

E…………………Uncertain, but on some early (handmade) bottles, this may stand for Edward H. Everett, Newark, Ohio. See “E.H.E.Co” and “N next to (or within) a star” marks. Sometimes it might be just a mold letter.

E (four rectangular strokes, stylized “E” which may actually be intended as an abstract “M”; seen on bottles primarily from the 1970s). See “M -abstract logo” on page four where a photo of this mark is shown. This may be interpreted as a capital “E” with a space between the one vertical stroke, and the three horizontal strokes………….. Midland Glass Company.

Ekco……………………Ekco Housewares, Chicago, Illinois. Maker of all types of kitchen-related cookware and accessories. Brand name occasionally seen marked on glass cookware, measuring pitchers, coffee carafes, etc. Most of these pieces date anywhere from the 1950s to the present. I’m not positive what glass manufacturer produced these items. I would hazard a guess (repeat: guess!) that some items were made by Hazel-Atlas Glass Company, Anchor Hocking Corporation, Indiana Glass Company, Federal Glass and/or Corning Glass.

EG (along lower heel of bottle, embedded with a brief series of numbers)………..Graham Glass Company, Evansville, Indiana (see Graham). Usually found within a string of letters/numbers, often in conjunction with “G23” or “G26”, or similar numbering). These markings are often seen on light green glass soda bottles of the 1920s.

E.H.E……………….Edward H. Everett (1880-1885). This was the second owner/operator of the Newark Star Glass Works. Officially incorporated as “Edward H. Everett Company” in 1885 (also called “Edward H. Everett Glass Works”). The “E H E” mark may have been used after 1885, concurrently with the E. H. E. CO. mark. Please see next entry, as well as “N next to (or within) a star“.

E.H.E.CO…………..Edward H. Everett Company (operating company of the Newark Star Glass Works), Newark, Ohio (1885-1904). Plant merged in 1904 to become part of the Ohio Bottle Company and in 1905 Ohio Bottle became part of the American Bottle Company. American was purchased by Owens Bottle Company in 1916, and in 1929 this plant became part of the merger that resulted in the formation of Owens-Illinois Glass Company. Also, see “S. K. & CO” and “N next to or within a star” marks.

Eye (Cat’s Eye)…………….occasionally the “diamond/o/i” mark used by Owens-Illinois Glass Company has been loosely described as an eye or the planet Saturn. Please see this page for a variety of examples of this mark.

F in a keystone……….C.L.Flaccus Glass Company, Pittsburgh, PA (1879-1928). General offices in Pittsburgh, actual factory locations included Tarentum, Leechburg, and Beaver Falls, PA. Period of usage of this mark is uncertain. See “C.L.F.” and related marks.

F within a shield (shown)……….Federal Glass Company, Columbus, Ohio (1901-1980). This mark was first used in 1932. Maker of a huge variety of tableware, tumblers, shotglasses, toothpick holders, etc. Especially known for their lines of “Depression glass“ tableware so popular during the 1930s and 1940s, most of which is not marked.

F. A. & CO……….Fahnstock, Albree & Co., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (c.1860-1869). Glass researcher Dick Roller (Standard Fruit Jar Reference, 1983) reports that this glass manufacturing firm was listed in the Pittsburgh city directories from 1861 through 1869. However, Julian Toulouse promoted the belief that they were in business only for about 2 years (1860-1862), renting the factory of Lorenz and Wightman. I believe it is very probable they were in business during almost the entire decade, since bottles and jars seen with this maker’s mark are relatively plentiful. Roller also states the actual location of their glass manufactory was the Eclipse Glass Works, Temperanceville (SW Pittsburgh), PA. Evidently they made glass at both locations at times during their existence.

F. B. & F. J. CO……Fairmont Bottle & Fruit Jar Company, Fairmont, West Virginia (1892-1893). This company was dissolved in 1893, and a few months later a new company (located at the same factory site) was organized under the name of “Johns Bros”. See J.Bros. mark.

F.C.C.CO…………..mis-reading of “F.C.G.CO.”, below. The “G” is often embossed to appear more like a “C”.

F.E.R……………..F.E.Reed Glass Company (Reed Glass Company), Rochester, New York (1899-1956). Mark used from c.1899-1927. For more detailed company chronology, see under “Rochester Glass Wks” entry. Also see next entry.

F.E.R.G.CO…………F.E.Reed Glass Company (Reed Glass Company), Rochester, New York (1899-1956). This and the above mark probably dates from the earlier years, c. 1899-1927. See “Rochester Glass Wks” entry for other marks used by this firm.

Foster-Forbes mark (FF inside a circle)

FF (cursive script, letters joined, within a circle, shown)……..Foster-Forbes Glass Company, Marion, Indiana and (later) several other plant locations. (1929-c. 2000). This particular mark was first used in 1942. As far as I understand, all of the former Foster-Forbes glass plants are now either shut down or part of Saint-Gobain Containers corporation (Verallia). Saint-Gobain Containers-made products usually have an “SG” on the heel or bottom (See “SG” entry). Please contact me if you have more current info on F-F and when that mark was discontinued.

F. F. & W…………Fox, Fultz & Webster, Boston, Massachusetts (c. 1885 or earlier-c.1893). This mark was first reported to me (courtesy of Mark Newton) as seen on the base of a colorless druggist bottle from Greenville, NH, probably made circa 1885. Another web correspondent (Shawn) supplied the full name of that business as the virtually certain source of the mark. Taylor McBurney supplied approximate date range from info found in city directories.

F G ………………. Florida Glass Manufacturing Company, Jacksonville, Florida (1926-1947). Julian Toulouse (Bottle Makers and their Marks, 1971, page 199) indicates this mark dates from “circa 1930”. Another minor variation is also pictured: F and G entwined (superimposed over each other) which he writes as dating “circa 1940”. According to Toulouse, Florida Glass Manufacturing Company was purchased by Chattanooga Glass Company in 1947 (See “C in a circle” mark) , then leased by Ball for a year, and subsequently sold to Scalise in 1950 who changed the name of the concern to “Tropical Glass & Box Company” in about 1952.

F G C……………………………………………….Forsters Glass Company, St. Helens, Lancashire, England (United Kingdom), 1902-1966. Forsters was acquired in 1966 by Rockware Glass, and Rockware eventually became part of Ardagh Glass in 2006. This mark is frequently seen on fishing net floats.

Fire-King……………………………Anchor-Hocking Glass Corporation (1937-to date). This has been an extremely popular line of glassware since introduced in the 1940s. Fire-King glassware has been made in semi-opaque or “translucent” colors, as well as fired-on colors over transparent or white milk glass. Fire-King is made of a heat-resistant type of glass, and many patterns and styles of bowls, cake pans, and other items for oven use have been made, competing with Pyrex-brand cookware manufactured by Corning Glass. Tremendous numbers of drinking mugs and cups have been made with the Fire-King brand name logo on the bottom, and these are avidly collected today, especially by the so-called “baby boomers” growing up during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, when so many of these items were in popular use in most American homes. Many of the mugs and bowls have surface-applied color decoration, which sometimes begins to wear off, thus washing them in an automatic dishwasher is strongly discouraged. Vintage Fire-King ware has great nostalgic value, and can be seen frequently for sale at antique malls and flea markets. Please see “Anchor with an H superimposed” mark on this page.

F.L. ……………….Frederick Lorenz & Co, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This mark (and “F. L. & Co.”) was listed by Rhea Mansfield Knittle in Early American Glass (1927:441;444). Some sources give the dates 1819-1840 for the use of one or both of these marks. Knittle notes that “F.L.& CO.” appears on a Union-Clasped Hands pictorial flask, but McKearin & Wilson (1978:651) show that the mark as “L.F.& Co”. In any case that flask would certainly date from the 1860s or 1870s. See “F R L”.

Frank Miller’s Crown Dressing……….a popular type of shoe polish (“shoe dressing”), especially well-known during the late Victorian era, circa 1880s-1890s. For more information, please see this webpage.

F. R. L. …………….Frederick R. Lorenz, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (c.1854-1860). Sources disagree on the time period of this particular mark, but empirical evidence from certain blob top soda bottles indicate the mark was definitely in use at least sometime between 1854 and 1858.

FV (connected, as shown) Fábrica de Envases de Vidrio S.A. de C.V., Mexicali, Mexico. (1987-to date). This company manufactures huge quantities of soda & beer bottles (including Coke bottles) for use in Mexico and the United States. Not sure on exact span of time this mark has been in actual use, but I have seen it on a “Mexican Coke” returnable-style bottle which is date-coded 2006.

G (alone, or within a circle)……. On the base of some cobalt blue bottles, such as Phillips Milk of Magnesia Tablets) this “G” probably stands for Gulfport Glass Company, Gulfport, Mississippi (1955-1970). Gulfport was a subsidiary of Maryland Glass Corporation, Baltimore, MD, and was a heavy producer of cobalt blue. Gulfport was acquired by the Dorsey Corporation in 1968.

G…………………Gayner Glass Works, Salem, New Jersey (on some bottles especially in the earlier years). See “G in a circle”.

G…………………Glenshaw Glass Company, Glenshaw, Pennsylvania (1895-2004) on some bottles. Also, see “G in a square” mark.

G (highly stylized logo seen on upscale tableware including tumblers) ……………. this particular mark is actually an “R” but might be mistaken as an abstract “C” or “G”. Please see the “R” entry on page three showing an actual photograph of this mark which is used by Rosendahl, Copenhagen, Denmark.

G (stylized capital G inside a square, as shown in accompanying pic)……………Gamer Packaging, Minneapolis, MN. (1987-to date). Gamer Packaging is a distributor/wholesaler of glass bottles as well as other types of packaging including plastic and metal containers. Some items are manufactured directly by them, others by arrangement with other companies. Gamer apparently has an arrangement with Ardagh Group (which includes former Anchor Glass manufacturing plants) to supply glass bottles to their customers. Although Ardagh is mentioned on the official Gamer site, other unnamed glass firms might also supply some bottles sold by/through Gamer Packaging. It is unclear exactly where any particular bottle with this “G” mark might have been made, but possibly at any of the Ardagh glassmaking plants (9 locations in the US, see list under Anchor, page one), or other unspecified glass companies located in Asia, specifically, China. The bottle with this particular mark (shown) was sold by Fentimans (DrinkFentimans.com).

G in a circle……..Gayner Glass Works (1898-1937), later Gayner Glass Company, Salem, New Jersey (1937-1957+). Mark reportedly used in the c. 1920s on machine-made bottles. Gayner Glass Co. was bought by National Bottle Corporation in 1957. I currently do not have info on later marks, and whether, or how long after 1957, Gayner continued to use their own trademarks on their glass production. See next entry and “GGW”.

G in a circle…….in some cases, Gulfport Glass Company, Gulfport, Mississippi (1955-1970). This information comes from Toulouse (Bottle Makers & Their Marks, page 210) although how to tell this apart from the “G in a circle” mark used by Gayner (above) is not clear. Toulouse writes that Gulfport made blue and amber containers, and that Gulfport was acquired in 1968 by Dorsey Corporation of Chattanooga, TN although the operation was continued under the Gulfport name until 1970.

G in a diamond……..Unknown. This mark is confirmed to exist on the base of an “Old Mr. Boston” pint size liquor bottle. (It is possible this could stand for an actual glass manufacturer, or maybe a distributor, wholesaler, distiller or some other type of firm). Thanks to Brent L. for this information!

G in an oval (shown)……….Gallo Glass Company, Modesto, California (1966-to date). This “g” is written in a cursive script which, on many bottles, makes the letter resemble an odd-looking capital “S”.

G in a square………Glenshaw Glass Company, Glenshaw, Pennsylvania (1895-2004). Mark reportedly used since 1932. Glenshaw Glass Company later became part of the Anchor Glass Container Corporation, but then was bought by Consumers Packaging Inc, of Toronto, Canada. The Glenshaw plant was closed in November of 2004. In 2007 the Glenshaw glass plant re-opened after extensive renovation and re-organization, and is now producing glass containers and other ware under the name Kelman Bottles, LLC. (2008- ) If anyone has info on mark(s) used on Kelman’s products, please send me an email!

G within the raised outline of a bottle………..Gayner Glass Works/Company, Salem, New Jersey. See “G in a circle” and “GGW” entries.

G 23, G 24, G 25, or similar configuration, embossed along the lower heel area of soda bottles (usually seen in light aqua or light green glass), this number is normally found within a string of several other letters and/or numbers. Graham Glass Company, Evansville, Indiana. See Graham.

Gemco………………………….Gemco (1959-1986) was the name of a chain of retail department stores (parent company: Lucky Stores), mostly operating in the Western areas of the United States. (Stores in the chain that operated in the East were called Memco.) Gemco sold a wide variety of consumer goods, including housewares. The embossed name “GEMCO” appears often on glass kitchen-related items including salt and pepper shakers, sugar shakers, syrup pitchers, measuring cups, and other items of that nature. The Gemco stock was liquidated in 1986, and many of the former Gemco stores were purchased by Target Stores. Most glassware marked GEMCO was manufactured by Corning Glass Works. Items encountered include both Pyrex-style ‘semi-opaque’ glass, and transparent (clear) glass.

G F (or possibly meant to be C F ) . Letters are connected by a downward arching underline which curves underneath them, somewhat creating the appearance that the letters are seated in a small boat. ……………… Compañía General de Vidrierías Españoles, S.A., Gijón, Oviedo, España (Spain). Dates of use uncertain, perhaps 1960s-1970s?

G G W (monogram, with the second “G” somewhat larger and overlapping the first “G” and the “W”). Gayner Glass Works, Salem, New Jersey (1898-1937), later Gayner Glass Company (1937-1957+). Monogram, accompanying this glass manufacturer’s name and city, seen on an advertising paperweight, reported to me by Bob Berkley. See “G in a circle” entry.

Glasbake…………………………..McKee Glass Company, Jeannette, Pennsylvania. “Glasbake” is a brand name embossed on the bottom of much glassware for household use……….this was a popular name introduced and used by McKee for their high-quality, heat-resistant ovenware, serving bowls, and other kitchen ware. The Glasbake line was inroduced in 1917, and competed with Pyrex (made by Corning Glass Works) and Fire-King (Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation). The glass formula was changed (after a lawsuit was filed by Corning) and re-introduced in 1919. The Glasbake brand was used more or less continuously throughout the succeeding years, under Thatcher Glass ownership (1951-1961), and later by Jeannette Glass Company until 1979. See McKee Glass Company page for a little more general information on this operation.

Golden Harvest…………….brand name used on a line of modern fruit jars (canning jars) that are evidently manufactured by Anchor Hocking Corporation (Lancaster, Ohio) and/or Anchor Glass Container Corporation (Tampa, Florida) . Not sure which exact glass manufacturing plant locations are involved. (If you know, contact me and I can add that info to the page). (As of August, 2012, Anchor Glass Container Corporation has been purchased by Ardagh Group, based in Luxembourg, Europe). Golden Harvest along with Kerr and Ball are the most popular brand names seen on modern clear glass canning jars sold in the United States. Apparently most of them are still (as of 2012) produced within the US. Please see my entries on “Anchor” , “Kerr” and “Ball”.

Graham………………Graham Glass Company, Evansville, Indiana; Loogootee, Indiana; and Okmulgee, Oklahoma (1907-1929). Another plant location also was operated at Chekotah, Oklahoma until 1923. Graham owned by Owens Bottle Company after 1916, plants became part of Owens-Illinois in 1929.

GW (G superimposed over a W, seen on upscale tableware, opaque glassware, etc)………………..Westmoreland Glass Company, Grapeville, Pennsylvania (1889-1984). Westmoreland made large quantities of white milkglass tableware and decorative ware including many of the older “hen on nest” dishes. Please see “W superimposed over a G” entry on page three.

G.W. & J. ……………..Unknown. Initials, arranged in a circular formation, seen on the base of blackglass (very dark olive green or dark olive amber) ale or brandy bottles of British origin. The “G” may appear to be a “C”. Also, the order of the letters could also be construed as “W. & J. G.” From the general appearance of these bottles, (rather heavy, crude, with very dark glass color), I’m assuming they date from sometime in the 1850-1880s period.

H (found on bottles from the western region of the US)……………..probably (not yet proven?), Holt Glass Works, West Berkeley, California (1893-1906). This company appears to be the source of various bottles with an “H” found primarily in the Western states. These bottles typically have a number (with one, two, or three digits) accompanying the “H”. In most cases, the number is reportedly found ABOVE the “H”, although in some cases is may appear either below, or positioned to the right of the letter. Please keep in mind that positive attribution of a bottle with an “H” mark to any definite glasshouse is often very uncertain.NOTE: Hand-blown aqua oval bottles with applied or tooled lips, some shown to have been used for Reuben P. Hall’s “Hall’s Hair Renewer”, are found with just an “H” on the base, and in this case, the “H” MIGHT stand for “Hall”. These bottles may have been produced by W. H. Hamilton & Company, since it is likely that Hamilton also made “green glass” (aqua) bottles although they advertised themselves as “flint” bottle makers. See next entry also.

H-28 (or w/other 2-digit number)….Hemingray Glass Company, Muncie, Indiana (used c. 1924-1935). Information proven to be correct from Hemingray historian/researcher Bob Stahr. However, this doesn’t rule out the possibility that a mark similar to this one could be seen on products from other glass factories. Type of bottle, age, color, and other characteristics must be taken into account to decide if this would be a Hemingray product. NOTE: If the number consists of either one or three digits, it is not Hemingray. On Heinz bottles, a number (which may consist of one, two, or three digits) which accompanies an “H” on the base refers to a particular design or style of bottle made by Heinz, and is not Hemingray-related. Holt Glass Works, West Berkeley, California is believed to have produced bottles with an “H” and a number, but these are usually found only on the West Coast. See “H” entry above.

H within a vertical diamond (on elegant pressed and blown glass tableware, but not utilitarian container ware)…………………….A. H. Heisey & Company, Newark, Ohio (1896-1957). This company produced handmade pattern glass tableware, stemware and other high quality “elegant” decorative glass. Several types of perfume bottles were also made. NOTE: This mark (or a very similar mark) has also been seen on the bases of several types of glass covered animal dishes (“hen-on-nests”) in opaque “slag glass” or other colors, but those items are recent imports from Asia and were not made by Heisey. Another mark that may in some cases look somewhat similar is the “I in a diamond” mark used by Illinois Glass Company, Alton, IL, which was used primarily on utilitarian and commercial types of bottles. See “Diamond……” entries on page two.

H over an A (shown)…….Hazel-Atlas Glass Company, Wheeling, West Virginia; started at Washington, PA; later plants included Clarksburg, WV; Zanesville, OH; Ada, OK; Montgomery, AL; Oakland, CA; Pomona, CA and other locations. (1902-1964). For more information on this mark, please go to my Hazel-Atlas page.

Hagerty’s Glass Works……..Hagerty’s Glass Works, Brooklyn, New York (c.1849-c.1900). Glass factory name seen spelled out in a circle on the base of blob-top soda bottles. This factory was known as “Hagerty’s Glass Works” until at least 1875, later became “Hagerty Bros & Company”, and perhaps other slight variations on the name. Hagerty might have used some other marks, but if so, it is not certain what they were.

Hair (mark somewhat like a small curly ‘hair’, embedded into the glass on the base of drinking articles)………………..actually an “L” in cursive script, Libbey Glass. See this page for more information.

Hamilton Glass Works, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (c. 1864-c.1898). Hamilton Glass Works was purchased/absorbed by Diamond Glass in 1893 or 1894. Hamilton made fruit jars as well as electrical insulators. Many of the fruit jars are marked across the front “HAMILTON / No 1 / GLASS WORKS” (and other numbers such as No. 2, No. 3 or No 4). Some jars were made for a cork closure, others are to be fitted with a glass lid and metal clamp-style closure.

Hawley Glass Co / Hawley, PA…………….Hawley Glass Company, Hawley, Pennsylvania. (Dates uncertain, perhaps c. 1872-1885). Seen on the base of fruit jars. This was not the same company as the Harloe Insulator Company (c.1902-c.1906) which produced glass insulators marked with an “H I CO” monogram placed above “HAWLEY PA/ U.S.A.”.

H B, or possibly B H (letters entwined– monogram)………………..Unknown manufacturer. This mark (pictured) occurs on the base of a clear/off-clear fish bowl or leech bowl. “Older” looking glass with bubbles, possibly 1890-1930 era? Hagerty Bros. & Company comes to mind, but this is only a possibility, not a definite attribution! Ideas from readers on correct ID of this mark are solicited!

Heart-shaped logo (shown)………….seen on base of dark olive green square-based “case gin” bottle, possibly a product of Holland, circa 1840s-1870s? The heart embossing is slightly “ghosted” (double striked) on this example. If anyone has information that could help identify the maker of this bottle, please write!

Hemingray…………………Hemingray Glass Company, Muncie, Indiana (used on base of refrigerator bottles, c.1924-1935). Hemingray was most widely known for their glass electrical insulators, which are marked with the company name, or with “H.G.CO”, and/or other markings. For more discussion on Hemingray, click here .

H.F.J.CO…………….Letters are placed in the four arms of a cross (similar to a formée or Maltese cross) which appears on fruit jars with the “Mason’s / Patent/ Nov 30TH /1858” embossing. Hero Fruit Jar Works, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1883-1908). Hero subcontracted some of their jar orders out to other glass companies, such as Findlay Bottle Company, Findlay, Ohio (1888-1893); Marion Fruit Jar & Bottle Company, Marion, Indiana (1888-1904); and Cumberland Glass Mnfg. Company, Bridgeton, New Jersey (1870-1900), so there is a possibility that any individual jar could have been made at one of those other factories. Please see Mason’s Patent Nov 30th 1858 fruit jars page.

HG over triangle (shown)……………Hillsboro Glass Company, Hillsboro, Illinois (1961-1997). Formerly owned by Schram Glass Manufacturing Company (opened c.1905), this plant was acquired by Ball Bros. Glass Company in 1925. Ball operated it from 1925 until 1961, at which time it was sold to Hiram Walker & Sons Distilleries, already a heavy buyer of amber whiskey bottles produced at the plant. At that time, or perhaps somewhat later, it became known as Hillsboro Glass Company. All, or nearly all, of the glass production consisted of amber bottles and jars. Hillsboro Glass was bought by Consumers Packaging, Inc, in late 1996 and was shut down in 1997. This plant is actually located in Schram City, a small community on the eastern edge of Hillsboro.

H.G.CO…………….Hemingray Glass Company, Covington, KY & Muncie, IN (used on bottles c.1870-1895; insulators until about 1915). See more on Hemingray here .

HGW (monogram)……….On fruit jars with the “Mason’s Patent/ Nov 30 1858” embossing, this monogram stands for the Hero Glass Works, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1869-1883) and Lockport, New York (1869-1872). The monogram may be difficult to decipher. HGW became Hero Fruit Jar Company in 1883 (see H.F.J.CO.)

H. Heye………………Hermann Heye Glasfabrick [Glass Factory], several locations in Germany. Bottle with mark “GLASS WORKS/H.HEYE/HAMBURG” on base is confirmed, and probably dates from the 1880s or 1890s. I believe this company is still in business.

H. J. HEINZ CO., with a triangle mark in the center of the base…….H.J.Heinz Glass Company, Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania. (c.1893-1946). Many of Heinz’s bottles were made by other glass manufacturers, especially in later years. See “H” and “H-28” marks. Note: for a discussion on Heinz, with pictures of lots of the older HEINZ-embossed food bottles that have been found, check out Betty Zumwalt’s ground-breaking reference work Ketchups, Pickles, Sauces (1980).

Honesdale Glass Works………..Honesdale Glass Works, Traceyville (near Honesdale), Pennsylvania (1847-1861). Factory name seen on base of soda bottles, embossed in a circle. This factory, located along the Lackawaxen River, was destroyed by a flood when a dam gave way in 1861. James Brookfield worked at this factory before moving to Brooklyn, NY to become involved in the Bushwick Glass Works (later known as the Brookfield Glass Company). Several years passed until in 1865 the Honesdale property was purchased and a new glass factory was built, variously known in later years as “Honesdale Glass Works”, “White Mills Glass Works”, “C. Dorflinger & Company” or “Wayne County Glass Works”. Cut glass was their specialty.

I superimposed over a G………..Imperial Glass Company, Bellaire, Ohio (1902-1984). Mark used from 1951-1977 on high quality tableware and novelties. For more information on Imperial Glass and the various trademarks that were used, please check out this site: National Imperial Glass Collectors Society. The “I” looks somewhat like an ornately designed numeral “1” in some cases.

I within an “O”………… page with more info: Owens-Illinois Glass Company (recently re-named simply “O-I”), formerly headquartered at Toledo, OH, now Perrysburg, Ohio. Approximately 25 glass manufacturing locations in the US and Canada, with the most recently opened plant at Windsor, Colorado. (1929-to date), this mark used from c. 1954 up to very recently, being gradually replaced (starting c. 2010?) with the “O-I” mark on most bottles. The diamond was removed from the “old” mark (diamond superimposed over an “I” and an “O” or oval) beginning around 1954, although a few bottle molds apparently didn’t have the diamond eliminated (i.e., the mold re-engraved) until as late as the 1960s. After 1958 the great majority of O-I bottles carried the simplified mark of just an I inside an O. On recent bottles, this mark may be small, faint, and not always easily discernable, usually seen embossed on the heel of the container. O-I is presently (2013) the largest glassmaking corporation in the world. A wide variety of glass containers are made, primarily for food and beverage products.

IB (BI)…… stylized mark used by Ball-Incon Glass Packaging (1987-1994). Please see “BI” entry and accompanying photo of this mark on “Page One” of the glass marks pages.

IGCO (monogram)………Illinois Glass Company, Alton, Illinois (1873-1929). This monogram which is seen most commonly on the “MASON’s PATENT NOV 30TH 1858” fruit jars may also indicate, in some cases, other unidentified glass companies, but most of these jars are presumed to be products of Illinois Glass. See the next 3 entries.

IGCO monogram within brackets [ ] ……………Intermountain Glass Company, Midvale, Utah. Mark seen on the base of “Mountain Mason” fruit jars. Exact period of operation of this company is not clear, but the jars are believed to date from about 1935-1936, per data from Alice Creswick (The Fruit Jar Works-Volume 2, 1987).

I.G.CO…………….Illinois Glass Company, Alton, Illinois (1873-1929). This mark was used possibly as early as the mid-1870s to around 1900, embossed on both bases and heels of bottles, and was also used for several years after 1900 primarily on the lower heels of their soda bottles (since the base would frequently be reserved for the logo or initials of the bottling company a bottle was made for). Use of the mark on certain soda bottles is known to have extended at least to 1909, perhaps 1911. Please see “I.G.CO.L”, “IGCO within a diamond” and “I within a diamond” marks. Illinois Glass Company merged with Owens Bottle Company in 1929 to form the Owens-Illinois Glass Company.

I.G.CO.L…………..Ihmsen Glass Company, Limited, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (c.1876-1900). Also listed as Ihmsen Window Glass Company. Pittsburgh directory listings show this company included the “Limited” in their name from 1876 to c.1896. Bottles bearing this mark can definitely be attributed to this company, although some bottles from the Pittsburgh and surrounding area with an “I.G.CO.” mark (no L), might also be Ihmsen Glass Co. products. However, I am increasingly skeptical about this claim, as I’ve recently seen more evidence that points to Illinois Glass Company as being the much more likely source for the “I.G.CO.” mark. Attributing any bottles with an I.G.CO. marking to Ihmsen is definitely fraught with uncertainty, and I feel more confident attributing them to Illinois Glass Company at present. Perhaps future research will uncover the facts on this matter once and for all. Any bottle collectors or researchers that have info on this question are invited to contact me at anytime. (Update , 12/2013) : The recently published comprehensive reference work Glasshouses and Glass Manufacturers of the Pittsburgh Region by Jay W. Hawkins (2009, on pages 272-284) has alot of detailed information on the Ihmsen group of glass companies, with various mark variations not listed on my site, along with background info. The Ihmsen family were involved in a number of separate enterprises over many years time in the Pittsburgh region, and their full history is rather complex.

I.G.CO. within a diamond ~ on base of light aqua square pickle bottle.

IGCO within a diamond………….Illinois Glass Company. Alton, Illinois (1873-1929). This mark was used from approximately 1895-1915. Please also see the “I within a diamond” and “LYRIC” pages.

I.G.W.Co. …………….. probably Indianapolis Glass Works Company, Indianapolis, Indiana (1870-c.1876). This mark has been reported on an amber ale bottle from Dayton, Ohio. The word “Company” was part of the name of this factory as listed in city directories of the period, although fruit jars and flasks are found with just the wording “Indianapolis Glass Works” embossed on them.

Illinois………………Illinois Glass Company, Alton, Illinois (1873-1929). Mark used c. 1910s-1929. Also, see the I in a diamond page.

Imperial (IM /PE /RI /AL), the letters inside 4 small squares arranged to form one larger square, or in 4 segments inside a maltese cross or “plus sign”………………….. Imperial Glass Company, Bellaire, Ohio (1902-1984). Found on tableware. This particular mark believed to date from approximately 1904-1951. See “I superimposed over a G” entry, located farther up on this page.

Indiana Glass…………….Indiana Glass Company, Dunkirk, Indiana & Sapulpa, Oklahoma (1907-2002). Producer of a huge variety of glassware (drinkware, all types of tableware, decorative glass, floral container glass, candle ware, Carnival glass, EAPG (Early American pattern glass /pressed glass), etc, for nearly a century. Almost all Indiana Glass glassware is unmarked, although I have seen a candy dish marked on the base “Indiana Glass/Made in U.S.A.” with an “LCC” mark. Indiana Glass Company was purchased by, and became a subsidiary of, the Lancaster Colony Corporation, based in Lancaster, Ohio, in 1957. The Dunkirk, IN plant shut down production of glass in 2002, and for a time afterward served as a warehouse and/or mold repair facility. Some glass was continued to be made under the Indiana Glass name at Sapulpa, Oklahoma (the former Bartlett-Collins Glass Company facility) until that plant was purchased by Anchor Hocking Company who closed it down in June 2008. For more info on Indiana Glass, try this website here . Also, check out this page discussing the “Hen-on-Nest” covered dishes made by Indiana Glass.

Indianapolis Glass Works……….Indianapolis Glass Works (Company), Indianapolis, Indiana (1870-c.1876). Seen on the base of wax sealer fruit jars and across face of whiskey flasks, probably other types of bottles also exist with this marking. See “I.G.W.Co.”

IPG in a triangle (as shown)…………Illinois Pacific Glass Corporation, San Francisco, California (c.1925-1930 or 1932). (Name change of company above.) Glass plant locations at Los Angeles; Oakland, CA; Seattle, WA; & Portland, OR. Usually has a tiny triangle inside the larger triangle, squeezed in above the letters. This mark might have been used earlier than 1925.

Isabella Glass Works…………………………………..Isabella Glass Works (also known as New Brooklyn Glass Works), New Brooklyn, New Jersey (1848-c.1868). Pictorial flasks bearing this inscription along with an anchor on the front, and a representation of the glass factory on the reverse, are found which were made here. This glassworks is briefly discussed in Adeline Pepper’s reference work The Glass Gaffers of New Jersey (1971) which I heartily recommend for anyone interested in early American glassmaking, and New Jersey glassware in particular.

I S G CO…………..Interstate Glass Company, Kansas City, Missouri (1901-c.1903). Information on mark ID first sent to me courtesy of Tom Neff. This mark is rarely seen on soda bottles, including a few Coca-Colas. For more extensive background information on this short-lived glass company, please click here for a recently published article written by Scott Willoughby.

J in a diamond……..Uncertain. Seen on base of crown-top Coca-Cola bottles from Chattanooga, TN. There is a possibility this might stand for John Bros, Fairmont, WV (1893-1907) but there is no proof that this is so. John Bros made crown style soda bottles.

J in a square………Jeannette Glass Company, Jeannette, Pennsylvania (1889-1983). Exact period of use of this mark is unclear …….. perhaps 1920s-1960s. If you have specific information on the years this mark was used on their ware, please contact me! Also please see McKee Glass Company page.

JB (B superimposed over J)………this mark is rather indistinct and appears to be a “B” with the lower loop of a “J” hanging down from underneath it. Probably Johns Bros, Fairmont, West Virginia (1893-1907). Seen on heel of amber slug-plate crown-top soda bottle made for H. Epping, Louisville, KY.

J. J. G. …………………..Unknown. Initials appear, in a circular formation, on the base of a plain, square medium-sized aquamarine pickle bottle, distinctly American, of a type generally made circa 1875-1895. This might stand for a food/dry goods distributor instead of a glass company? The order of the letters may also be interpreted as “J. G. J.” or “G. J. J.”

J.K. …………………John Kilner & Company, Castleford, Yorkshire, England. Years of usage of this mark is uncertain. See next 2 entries.

J.K. & Co. …………….John Kilner & Company, Castleford, Yorkshire, England. From Julian Toulouse’s “Bottle Makers and their Marks“, confusion reigns as to the exact stretch of years this mark was actually used. He states “1842-1844” which I strongly doubt. The company evidently existed, in various incarnations, for many years afterward. I suspect that most bottles so marked may date from the 1850s to the 1880s, but don’t quote me on that! 🙂 See “J K & S” for related mark.

J K & S ………………… John Kilner & Sons, Wakefield, Yorkshire, or Thornhill Lees, Yorkshire, England. Similar to the marks J K & Co (above) confusion on the actual dates of use continue. Toulouse (Bottle Makers and their Marks) stated “1844 to 1857” but also relates that this same firm name was applied to a glass manufacturer still in business as late as 1928. Dates of usage for this mark are very unclear (to me) and I would propose a very wide possible date range extending from the 1860s into the late 1920s. (Most likely, perhaps 1880-1910). More research certainly needs to be done on this group of companies and the marks they used. Also, see K.B.L.T. and K. B. Ltd.

Johns Bros. W. Va……….Johns Brothers, Fairmont, West Virginia (1893-1907). This company was a successor to the Fairmont Bottle & Fruit Jar Company which was incorporated in 1892. Johns Bros. operated up to about 1907, at which time it became known as the Fairmont Bottle Company (1907-1912). See JB.

K in a hexagon………….Kimble Glass Company, Vineland, New Jersey (1905-to date). Plant was purchased by Owens-Illinois in 1946. Kimble acquired Kontes Glass Company to form Kimble/Kontes circa 1982. Now known as Kimble Chase Inc. (after 2007), a subsidiary of the Gerresheimer Group, Dusseldorf, Germany. The K-in-a-hexagon mark was first used beginning in 1947, according to U.S. Patent and Trademark records, and the last re-issue was in 1990…….no ending year date is given. Most (if not all) recent glassware (specialty laboratory glassware such as beakers) made by Kimble Chase may carry a plain K instead of a K inside a hexagon. (See “K” entries).

K in a keystone…………Knox Glass Bottle Company/Knox Glass Associates, Knox, Pennsylvania and other plant locations (1917-1968). Mark introduced circa 1932(?) Knox operated a number of glass manufacturing plants over many years during the 20th century, and each plant used a different letter inside a keystone as it’s mark. Sometimes there is no discernable letter inside the keystone shape. For much more in-depth information on the Knox family of plants and the marks they used, please check out these two articles written by Bill Lockhart: http://www.sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/knox2_brg.pdf andhttp://www.sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/knoxglas.pdf .

Kensington Glass Works……….Kensington Glass Works, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (c.1804-1833). Full name seen embossed on many historical flasks. This factory was later known as the Dyottville Glass Works.

Keystone shape with a letter inside (such as K, L, J, M, T, etc). Most, although not all, of the “letter inside a keystone” marks were used by glass factories owned/controlled by the Knox Glass Bottle Company. Check under the individual letter, but also please check the “K in a keystone” mark entry, above on this page.

K-G ……………….Kearns-Gorsuch Bottle Company, Zanesville, Ohio (1886-1937). Years this mark was used are not completely certain, but perhaps circa 1910-1937. See next entry, also see “K” entry, above.

K.G.B.CO…………..Kearns-Gorsuch Bottle Company, Zanesville, Ohio (1886-1937). Monogram seen on fruit jar. Initials also appear spelled out and are known embossed on the base of a pickle bottle. A number of Hutchinson-style soda bottles are found with this mark, and they generally date in the 1890s-1910 period. This mark presumably dates before 1920, when Hazel-Atlas bought the plant. Also, see “K” and “K-G” marks.

K.G.CO…………….unproven, but very possibly Kentucky Cooperative Glass Company, Louisville Kentucky (1897-1898). On some bottles, these initials may stand for another company. Kentucky Cooperative went into receivership in 1898 and was reorganized to become the “Louisville Glass Company” (also called the Louisville Bottle Manufacturing Company), a short-lived venture that ceased by 1901.

K H (with various numbers)……….Karl Hutter, the inventor of the “Hutter porcelain stopper” patented in 1893 which was used on many beer bottles (and still is, using plastic instead of porcelain, on several modern bottles such as Grolsch), evidently had large numbers of bottles manufactured for him during the c. 1880s-1910 era. These bottles were made by one or several unidentified glasshouses in the New York/New Jersey area. A good possibility for one source would be Brookfield Glass Company (Bushwick Glass Works).

K.H.& G.Z.O……………….Kearns, Herdman & Gorsuch, Zanesville, Ohio (1876-1886). This mark is usually arranged in a circle on the base of aqua-colored hand-blown fruit jars and bottles, and sometimes the mark is misunderstood as “Z. O. K. H. & G.” or “O. K. H. & G. Z.” or a similar string of letters. Also, please see “K” mark.

Knoxall………….Brand name used by Knox Glass Company for a line of bottles. See “K in a keystone”.

Knox & McKee……….Knox & McKee, Wheeling, Virginia (now WV) (1824-1829). Full name seen on very rare historical flasks. Initials “K & M” were reported by Knittle, but are not confirmed to exist on any bottles.

KPP inside an oval……………….Kerr Glass Manufacturing Corporation (Kerr Packaging Products Division). This mark is most familiar to glass telephone insulator collectors, appearing on a few (such as the CD 155 style, marked “Armstrong DP 1”) that were made in the c.1969-1973 period at Millville, NJ. However, also reported on base of a flat clear glass liquor flask.

K X ………………………seen on an amber jar base shard, circa 1960s or 1970s. No info on maker, though it might stand for one of the Knox Bottle company plants, or maybe it is just a mold letter (mold identifier).

L………………….Latchford Glass Company, Los Angeles, California (mark used c.1957-c.1989). Latchford eventually became part of Anchor Glass. See also “L in an oval”.

L with 2-digit number to the right…….Laurens Glass Company, Laurens, South Carolina (1910-1996). Mark seen on the base of “Longlife Mason” jars.

L-52 or L52………….Lamb Glass Company, Mt. Vernon, Ohio (c. 1920-1964?). This mark seems to be found only on milk bottles. Lamb Glass made many of the earlier “Babyface” milk bottles, which are now being reproduced (usually in brightly colored glass such as cobalt blue) by factories in China & Taiwan. Presumably, the “52” was merely a glass plant identifier. See also “L.G.CO.”

L in an oval (or a circle, somewhat horizontally flattened, seen on bottles)……….W.J.Latchford Glass Company, Los Angeles, California (1925-1938); this became the Latchford-Marble Glass Company (1938-1956); and then, Latchford Glass Company (1957-c.1989). Mark was first used approximately 1925, although during the “Latchford-Marble” era, the mark “LM in an oval” was used instead. See next entry.

L in a keystone……..Lincoln Glass Bottle Company, Lincoln, Illinois (1942-1952). Plant was sold to the Obear-Nester Glass Co. in 1952.

L in a shield……….W.J.Latchford Glass Company, Los Angeles, California (1925-1938). Seen on base of Puritas water bottle.

L in a square……….Lincoln Container Corporation, Lincoln, Illinois (1953-19??). Plant owned by Obear-Nestor Glass Company, but operated under this company name.

L in an unconnected square (shown)………………..Leone Industries, Bridgeton, New Jersey (1966-to date). The mark is seen quite often, usually placed on the “heel” of modern-era bottles, jelly jars, etc. found on current grocery store shelves. Leone also purchased/controlled the former Reed Glass Company, later Castle-Hanson Corporation factory at Rochester, New York for some period of time, exact dates unclear. (See “R in a triangle” mark, “C-H” marks). Leone was purchased in 2012 to become part of the Ardagh Group, but is apparently still using their own mark (as of 2015).

LB ………………..Long Beach Glass Company, Long Beach, California (1920-1933). This mark appears in the form of a large “L” with a smaller “B” sitting in the “lap” of the L. Thanks to Glenn Pavlovic for the picture of this mark!

LCC (stylized mark)…………………. Lancaster Colony Corporation, based in Lancaster, Ohio. Parent company of Indiana Glass after 1957. See Indiana Glass entry. Also, see this page for information on the popular Indiana Glass “hen on nest” dishes.

L.C.& R.CO…………….Lampton, Crane & Ramey Company, Louisville, KY (c.1895-c.1915). This firm was a dealer in paints, oils and varnishes. They apparently offered lettered glass bottles as part of their product line (many firms of this type offered window glass and glass bottles in addition to their other products), and since they were not an actual bottle manufacturer, the bottles were made by an unidentified glassworks. (Just a wild guess……….no proof!…… possibly Illinois Glass Company??)

Leotric……………………………..Brand name embossed across the face of certain fruit jars, these were evidently made by John Gayner/Gayner Glass Works, Salem, N.J. (1885-1898/1898-1937) and Cumberland Glass Works (or Company) /Cumberland Glass Manufacturing Co., Bridgeton, New Jersey (1882-1896/1896-1920). The trademark “LEOTRIC” (#43288) was said to have been in use starting in September, 1903, according to trademark documents. (Info from Alice Creswick’s The Fruit Jar Works, Vol. 1, 1995).

L G………………..Liberty Glass Company, Sapulpa, Oklahoma (1918-c.1995), mark used c.1955-1977+. Dash removed. (NOTE: There is a considerable overlap of the time periods during which these three mark variations were used (L.G. / L-G / L G) so careful scrutiny for an accompanying date code is advised. This information on approximate dates of use courtesy of author/researcher Bill Lockhart.) Liberty Glass Company became part of the Ball-Foster Container Corporation in the mid-1990s, and the factory is currently [2005] in operation as a part of Saint-Gobain Containers, producing bottles with the “SG” mark. Also, check the L.G.CO. mark page for info on other factories that used a somewhat similar mark.

L.G.CO…………….Several factories used this marking. Please click here for more information.

L.G.CO. arranged around a star with the words “ACME/Trademark 1893″…………Lamont Glass Company, Trenton & New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada (1890-1898). Seen on the face of fruit jars. Also see the “L.G.CO.” mark webpage.

L G W………………Laurens Glass Works, Laurens, South Carolina (1910-1996). Plants also operated in Henderson, North Carolina (opened 1957) and Ruston, Louisiana. The Henderson and Ruston plants are now part of Saint-Gobain Containers. Laurens Glass Works was a prolific manufacturer of soda bottles. The “L G W” is often seen on the bases of these soda bottles, along with mold , date, and/or style code numbers. Often, the L G W mark (as used by Laurens) is situated between numbers (date codes) such as: “6 L G W 1”. That would indicate a bottle made in 1961. NOTE: In some instances certain older (pre-1900) bottles or flasks with the marking “L & W” (indicating Lorenz and Wightman) are misunderstood to read “L. G. W.”, and because of an entry in Toulouse’s Bottle Makers and their Marks, this mark is believed to stand for Louisville Glass Works. I do not believe Louisville Glass Works ever marked ANY items with the initials “L G W”. If you have information that might show otherwise, please feel free to contact me with details. Also, see the “L.G.CO.” mark webpage.

LKYGW or L K Y G W ……………….this is a mark that appears in “Bottle Makers and their Marks” by Julian Toulouse (1971), purported to have been used by Kentucky Glass Works. I don’t believe that it actually exists, as such, and I prefer to brand it as a “fantasy mark” (nonexistent). I think that someone communicated to him concerning a mark they saw, which they abbreviated within their correspondence, thus creating a misunderstanding of the exact appearance of the mark. If you have any info to show otherwise, (as I would actually like to be proven wrong 🙂 ) please contact me through this website! Also, please see these entries: LGW, LGCO., Louisville Ky Glass Works, KYGW, KYGWCO , and S.G.W LOU KY. Also, see webpage on the Kentucky Glass Works Company.

LM in an oval……….Latchford-Marble Glass Company, Los Angeles, California. See “L in an oval” mark.

Lockport Glass Works………..Lockport Glass Works, Lockport, New York (1840-1872). Factory name is found spelled out on historical flasks and soda bottles. Alonzo Mansfield bought this factory in 1872 and it then became known as the Mansfield Glass Works, although the factory may have unofficially been called the Lockport Glass Works or Lockport Glass Manufacturing Company for several years afterward, at least into the 1880s. Mansfield Glass Works continued in operation until about 1909. Note: Another glass factory which may or may not have been related was “Lockport Glass Company”, reportedly in business from c.1900 to 1919. If you have more info on the history of these companies, please contact me! Also, please see the “L.G.CO.” page.

Louisville Ky. Glass Works………..Louisville Glass Works, Louisville, Kentucky (1855-1873). Factory name is seen embossed on several types of whiskey flasks, including plain, strapsided, eagle, scroll (“violin”) flasks, and several vertically-ribbed types. A very rare fruit jar, a type apparently made to be used with a cork closure, is also known with this marking. Please see Louisville Glass and my “Louisville Glass Factories of the 19th Century, Part One” article link on that page; and the Glass Insulator Factories information page. Also, see Kentucky Glass Works Company , Falls City Glass Company and Southern Glass Works pages for some info on later factories in Louisville.

LOU. KY. G. W. ………………….. This embossed marking (interspersed with four crossed lines), is listed as appearing, in a circular formation, on the base of a wax sealer-type fruit jar, according to Dick Roller in The Standard Fruit Jar Reference (1983). He lists this jar as #693.5 which is described on page 195. However, that listing is in error. This jar is not a product of the Louisville Glass Works, as the actual embossing is “S. G. W. LOU. KY.” Because of the placement of the crossed lines, the “S” is either invisible or partly obliterated on examples of the jar, creating confusion as to the exact order and interpretation of the letters. Actually made by Southern Glass Works, Louisville, Kentucky (1877-c.1885), a factory in operation several years after the Louisville Glass Works had ceased production. See “SOU G W”, “SOU G WS”, “S. G. CO.” and “S. G. W. LOU. KY.” and related marks.

Luxfer / Patented (along with several patent dates from the 1880s and 1890s)……..embossing found on glass prism “vault lights” (triangularly shaped glass tiles) used in various construction/lighting applications, sold by Luxfer Prism Company. See Ian Mackey’s Glassian.org site with more info here: Glassian.org/Prism/Luxfer/ Apparently these were manufactured by Jeannette Glass Company, Jeannette, Pennsylvania.

L & W…………..Lorenz and Wightman, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (c.1862-1874). A prolific bottle producer. This mark is known on a very large variety of bottles and fruit jars. Toulouse claims the mark may have been used from 1851 to 1860, and then again from 1862 up to 1871, which is the year that Lorenz died. However, Lorenz and Wightman was not officially dissolved until 1874. I know of certain bottles that exist with the L&W marking that definitely date as late as 1874.

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77 Responses to Glass Bottle Marks – 3

I am trying to identify a bottle with 55 over LOU D2 55 under ( all in a circle) and the I believe the Duralas symbol to the right. The bottle is oval with a flat side ( a liquor bottle I assume ) I only have the bottom. I collect sea glass, make jewelry and “stained glass” window art. I like to identify the bottle bottoms in my art pieces. Any help would be appreciated. Any way to send a photo if needed?

Hi Layne, it is a liquor bottle, made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company (Diamond and oval entwined with I mark). In the case of the markings on that particular bottle, the first “55” is a “liquor bottle permit number” assigned to their Huntington, WV plant. The second “55” is a date code for 1955 when the bottle was made. Please check out my page on Owens-Illinois for more info. Photos can be sent to my email address, which is listed at the bottom right of any page on my site. Hope this helps,
David

Found on my property, we live in an old farmhouse built 1840, a glass bottle down near the water. It is clear and looks like an old drink bottle with no markings except on the bottom it has the letter H in a circle and on the side of the bottom rim it has H103. That is it, looks old. Could this be a Hemingray? We live in the Northern Neck of VA in White Stone. Thanks for your help.

Hi Thomas,
I’m not sure, but I have doubts it is a Hemingray product. Can you email me pics of the bottle and the mark? My email is listed at the bottom right-hand corner of any page on this site.
Best regards,
David

Hi David-
I have a gold-plated (somewhat worn) Coke bottle that was given to my family from a great, great uncle many years ago. Although I’m sketchy on the details, my uncle was a designer at Liberty Glass in Sapulpa, OK. Before his passing (40+ years ago), he gave his personal collection (4 gold-plated bottles) to those close to him. There was something said about these 4 bottles being the first four of a new run. My uncle was James Greenwood and through research, I have found he had a copyright or two on milk bottles years before.
The bottle has the following on the base of the bottle:
“Jackson, Miss.”
“L-G”
“58-68”
No doubt, it appears to have been made at Liberty Glass in Sapulpa, OK. Any additional insight you may have would be greatly appreciated as this is something the family would love to know more about.
Thanks in advance.
Keith

I am trying to date a bottle from the early 1900s I believe and also find who manufactured it. It is a larger mouth clear rounded rectangular bottle with an early screw top, and the bottom has PL inside what looks like a shield, with a pitchfork and a number 3 under it. I can’t find any information about a PL company.
Thanks, Bethany

Bethany,
I don’t know what the PL stands for. This mark is seen on various bottles and has been reported to me several times over the years. If any readers of this website know, please advise!
Best regards,
David

PK, your bottle was made by either Diamond Glass Company of Royersford, PA OR Illinois Glass Company, Alton, IL. If the diamond is absolutely PLAIN with no trace of letter or number inside, it was probably made by Diamond. Look carefully, as often a letter “I” or a number or letter combo may be just faintly visible which would indicate Illinois Glass Company (See my page on the “I inside a diamond” mark). Sometimes it is very difficult to be sure!
David

I have what looks to be a jelly jar. The bottom of the jar says FRANCE followed by a small oval and then the date 1861 or if read the other way 1981. It also has VMC and then the numbers 32,4c1. The glass has a screw threads and cathedral window design around the glass. I sure would love to know something about this jar. The jar takes neither a wide mouth lid or small mouth lid. It is just a tad under a wide mouth lid.

What glass company made the embossed 1989 Coca-Cola 1923 commemorative bottles? The bottles are all side embossed similar to “89-10-14-JG”, where 89 is the year of manufacture, and JG appears to represent the glass manufacturer. But what does JG stand for?

Yes, I had considered Mexico, but current Google searches (in 2016) haven’t brought up anything for me. If the company has changed it’s name or trademark, or gone out of business, it’s harder to find that information.
Roger

The bottle I have is clear glass, 9″ tall. There are grape clusters hanging from vines with four leaves on two sides of the bottle. The mark on the bottom looks like a ‘c’ connected to another ‘c’ which loops around and becomes the top of the letter ‘P’.

Hello,
I would like to inquiry about a small jar that appears to be an ink well, not sure though.
It is square with a short neck and a metal cap that has a small rim on bottom. 1 and 1/2 inches tall by 1 an 1/4 inches wide both ways. It is clear glass with two rims running around it and has a metallic blue material still inside. It has a stamp on the bottom of it in a circle pressed into the bottom with ” K K ” and ” PAID ” under it.
Can you tell me anything about this or direct me to the correct place? Thank you!
John C.

I don’t see how to make my own reply, so I will just comment on this one. I have a bottle embossed “Ramey L.C. & R. Co.” on the base. I see it is an unknown glass mark. Does anyone have more information on it by now? If it helps, it is on the base of a bottle embossed “Ingram Drug Co. Thomasville, GA”. (A small prescription pharmacy med).

Hi Weston,
At the present time I haven’t updated my entry on that mark. It was evidently used by Lampton, Crane & Ramey Company, based in Louisville, KY, and that company dealt in paints, oils and varnishes. I believe they also (as part of their array of products offered) sold various bottles with the L.C.& R.CO marking on the base, which they offered as part of their general product line. The bottles would have actually been manufactured by some unidentified glassworks FOR LC&R, probably during the very late 1890s into the early 1900s. (Some paint,chemical and varnish distributors/jobbers of that general time period offered window glass and glass bottles as part of their product line, so in this instance they likely had an arrangement with a glass company to furnish marked bottles for them). Several druggist bottles are known with those initials on the bottom, and they are mostly from states in the South.
~David

Hi Mike, I keep getting queries about these amber liquor bottles made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company. Owens-Illinois made MILLIONS of these types of bottles, and the marking “D-10” is a distiller code. The “Diamond/oval/I mark was used by Owens-Illinois. The “56” is a liquor permit number assigned to Owens-Illinois, the “46” is a date code for 1946 which is the year the bottle was made. Please see my page on OWENS-ILLINOIS GLASS COMPANY, and also please scroll through the comments section (at the bottom of that page) where various liquor bottles and markings are discussed. Best regards, David

David, I have a beautiful amber colored one gallon glass jug with the small handle on tthe side of the pour spout. On the bottom is has a sideways diamond, with what appears to be an “I” with a circle around it. Also has the numbers 4 4 1 around the diamond/circle with the I. I would love to send pictures so you can have a better look!

Hi Tara, that is an OWENS-ILLINOIS bottle, most likely made for bleach or some other liquid chemical. Some of these were also used to contain vinegar, apple cider, soda syrup concentrate, and other edible liquids.
Please see my page on Owens-Illinois Glass Company, and the comments section at the bottom where various bottles made by that company are discussed. You can also get an idea on possible age range by going to the Clorox.com site webpage which disusses the evolution of their own amber bleach bottle types. (Although your bottle probably did not contain Clorox, it may have contained a competing brand of bleach, and the bottle type may be somewhat similar). Their webpage showing various bottles over the years is here: https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/heritage/bottle-guide/ . best regards, David

I haven’t done any research on this question, but one idea to pass along…..Browse thru ebay auctions for Pluto bottles, and check the auction descriptions for markings seen/described (although some sellers may not include “minor” details such as this). Input from readers?
~David

I have a bottle with “G. G. CO.” on the back heel and “79 / G” on the base. It’s a machine-made bottle for The Connecticut Breweries, but it looks like a blob…. Seams all the way up the finish; ring around base of finish; plate-mold; aqua, bubbles in glass. It confuses me.
Ideas on who made it and when?

I have what appears to be an old beer or possibly soda bottle, a dark amber color, seam on the bottle but top appears to be applied separately. It has an L and a B on the bottom (L over the B with a line between the two and a dot in the middle of the line). Any ideas on the origin?

Hello – I have an old Jelly Jar with just an “I” sans serif or a lower case “l” ??? the glass is an odd ball from my jelly jar collection – the glass itself is full of bubbles and seems cloudy (not etched form dishwasher). could also be a “|” pipe? or “_” underscore? but that seems too modern 🙂

I’m sorry Jeannine, but the “1” (probably was meant to be a mold number) does not give any meaningful info on origin or age. Please see my article “Numbers seen on the base of jars and bottles”. Best regards,
David

I have a skittle shaped or bowling pin shaped aquamarine-colored bottle. It is definitely a molded bottle (two seams up the sides completely to the lip). It has large and small bubbles. The inside base is tilted and not even with the outside base.
No markings on the body. However, the bottom is marked:
K B (something, maybe G, maybe <o) around the outside base
T (just below)
192
3

Any thoughts as to who manufactured the bottle, what it might have been used for, and possibly the age?

Thank you so much. The bottle was labeled by the seller as JL & Co bottle but, using your site and the markings on the bottle, I knew this could not be the case. This site is amazing with all of the detailed information. I will share this site with a number of my friends that collect both bottles and sea glass to help them identify their finds.

I have some blue pieces the only I know on some them there a plastic label. Some trim in gold there no marking on some them. some say made in Poland, and Italy. I have a lot Chinese piece that we gift. Help can not read Chinese or Japanese. HELP……………………………….

J53S11 over LGW on the bottom of vintage canning jars with a diamond waffle pattern on all sides and on the fourth side a small square patch probably for a canning “label”. I have 4 of these, bought at a farm auction. The others have square patterns as opposed to diamond pattern. Two different ladies at the auction said these very antique. My husband and I are in our 40s and have never seen anything like them.

Hello Crystal,
Your jars, of course, were made at Laurens Glass Works, of Laurens, South Carolina. Those types of square-shaped fruit jars were made by a number of glass manufacturers, including the “giants” Owens-Illinois, Ball, Knox Glass, and others. They were most popular in the 1930s, 1940s and into the 1950s. Not so commonly seen nowadays, but they do show up fairly often on sites such as ebay and at antique malls. They are described with a number of terms including “waffle” and “grid pattern”. Some collectors of so-called “Hoosier jars” also include these in their jar collections.
~David

Thank you found something-The F on bottom of bottle stands for Fairmount Ind.that also had a Indianapolis factory.cool this bottle says trade mark Indianapolis Ind.with the F for Fairmount glass. 1906 -1968.

Hi JJflynn-Gorman, just read your second post. [This is in reply to a post submitted about an amber straight-sided Coca Cola bottle……original question appears indexed with replies/posts under Glass Bottle Marks: Glass Manufacturers’ Marks ]. Glad that you found some info to be useful. So we can assume the amber Coke bottle was probably made sometime between 1906 and circa 1920. I don’t know when Fairmount Glass switched over to machine-made production. As was common to many glass factories for a time, they may have made some of their bottles by machine AND some by hand concurrently.
David

This page has helped me so much. I am a novice and thought I would never be able to find out what company made a bottle. But I just found “I in an oval” and with a date mark of 3 is it 1953 or 1957. I read somewhere to add the no to 1954 to get the correct year. I can see like you said the ground down area under the 3.

Hi Felicia,
I’m not sure where you read that (about adding a number to 1954), or about a “ground down area”… not positive what you are referring to. Perhaps it was something you read on another site, unconnected to GlassBottleMarks.com.
In any case, I’m assuming the “3” is on the right-hand side of the logo, correct? Since the “I in an oval” mark was (in actual practice) phased in by Owens-Illinois Glass Company over a period of years on their bottles, probably from 1954 up to around 1959, (maybe even later on a few bottles since it took some time to re-tool all of the bottle molds in use), the “3” would have to stand for 1963 or later. The date code stands for the very last digit (or two digits) of the year a bottle was made. Theoretically, the “3” could indicate 1963 or 1973. I believe by the 1980s most O-I date codes were 2 digits. If you send me an email with an attached picture of the bottle and the mark (to davidrussell59 “at” att “dot” net), perhaps I can get a better idea of approximate age.
Thanks for writing,
David

Hi Colleen,
I’m not familiar with the bottle, but that type of brand name (“Purity”) has been popular and used for alot of products throughout most of the 20th century. The actual company that produced the product may have been short-lived with little information to be found. (Unless you had lots of time to search through years and years of earlier Chicago business/city directories, where it is possible you could find the company listed).

In any case, the “FF” mark stands for Foster-Forbes Glass Company, and unfortunately I don’t know exactly when the bottle would have been made. The “1489” is probably an inventory, catalog, or product identification number, or assigned to that particular style of bottle. Just a wild guess, and without seeing the bottle, I would say it might date from the 1940s-1950s. The number codes after the city name (in this case, 2 after Chicago) were used before the institution of zip codes in 1963.
David

Do you know anything about ” purity brand furniture polish” says “Chicago 2, Ill” on the label
Can’t seem to find the company online… Or anything about it. We have a case of them, unopened… Most with original labels in tact, in the original shipping box. The bottom of the bottle (underneath) says “7 1489” in between the 7 and 1489 is a circle with what looks to be two “J’s” intercepting each other…..
We are stumped!

i see you have ” unknown mark ” under the ” G within a diamond ” i do not know if this helps but i found an ” old mr. boston one pint bottle ” with this mark on the bottom . and thank you for this site you have made my life easier knowing that i can go to one place and find all the information i need .

Thank you Brent,
Every bit of additional info can’t do any harm, and might even help shed light on a possible maker, so I will add that to the entry. I am assuming that the “G in a diamond” stands for an actual glass manufacturer, but it is also possible that the “G” could be the initial of a distributor, wholesaler, distiller, product manufacturer, or some other type of company along those lines. Perhaps time will tell.
David

I have also wondered about this W G & J mark for a long time. The example I have seen is black glass, almost certainly of British make, and probably dates from sometime in the 1850s to 1880s period. I am sure there was a glass factory somewhere in England during that timeframe that conforms to those initials……..I just don’t know what the name of the company was!
David

Hi Brenda,
Without seeing it, I will assume it is a Laurens Glass Works (Laurens, South Carolina) canning or fruit jar, probably made in the 1940s, 1950s or ’60s.
The jars with the “cross-hatching” or checkered pattern were popular in that time period, and your jar might be related to the jars that are sometimes called “Hoosier jars” or “Hoosier Cabinet jars”. I suppose the J49S would be a mold number but I can’t say for sure.

Hi Bob,
I really don’t know the year that Northwestern stopped production. I’m thinking I might have read somewhere that it was merged with, or purchased by, another glass company, thus any marks used would have been changed after that time. I have a vague feeling it might have been in the mid to late 1970s, but don’t quote me!!! (If any readers out there are familiar with the later history of Northwestern Glass, please help!). Can you send me a pic of the jar and a closeup of the mark? Send directly to davidrussell59@att.net. Thanks! David

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